Comparative performances of nomograms and conditional survival after resection of adrenocortical cancer

Background Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs) carry a poor prognosis. This study assessed the comparative performance of existing nomograms in estimating the likelihood of survival, along with the value of conditional survival estimation for patients who had already survived for a given length of time after surgery. Methods This was an observational study based on a prospectively developed departmental database that recorded details of patients operated for ACC in a UK tertiary referral centre. Results Of 74 patients with ACC managed between 2001 and 2020, data were analysed for 62 patients (32 women and 30 men, mean(s.d.) age 51(17) years) who had primary surgical treatment in this unit. Laparoscopic (9) or open adrenalectomies (53) were performed alone or in association with a multivisceral resection (27). Most of the tumours were left-sided (40) and 18 were cortisol-secreting. Overall median survival was 33 months, with 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of 79, 49, and 41 per cent respectively. Age over 55 years, higher European Network for Study of Adrenal Tumours stage, and cortisol secretion were associated with poorer survival in univariable analyses. Four published nomograms suggested widely variable outcomes that did not correlate with observed overall survival at 1, 3 or 5 years after operation. The 3-year conditional survival at 2 years (probability of surviving to postoperative year 5) was 65 per cent, compared with a 5-year actuarial survival rate of 41 per cent calculated from the time of surgery. Conclusion Survival of patients with ACC correlates with clinical parameters but not with published nomograms. Conditional survival might provide a more accurate estimate of survival for patients who have already survived for a certain amount of time after resection.

LIVER TRANSPLANTATION FROM SEXAGENARIAN AND OLDER

Donor organs shortage leads to extending criteria for deceased liver donation in the whole world.Aim:to compare results of deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) depending of donor age over 60 years old.Materials and methods:the study includes 390 DDLT from January 2010 to November 2017. All liver donors separated by age for two groups: I – 60 years and older (n = 26); II – younger than 60 years (n = 364). All donors were standardized by demographic, laboratory fi ndings and inotropic drug requirement. Results:no difference between both groups in severity of ischemia-reperfusion injury, ICU or in-hospital staying (median 2 and 7,5 days respectively) was found. There is also no difference between biliary or vascular complication rate. 5-year actuarial survival rate found no difference between both groups (I: 70%: II: 76%, p = 0,54).Conclusion.Using grafts from donors older than 60 years don’t worsen early and late results of DDLT. Care should be taken to avoid other risk factors (cold ischemia time, warm ischemia time).

Common Arterial Trunk Repair by Means of a Handmade Bovine Pericardial-Valved Woven Dacron Conduit

Background: Surgical repair of common arterial trunk (CAT) by means of a homograft conduit has become a standard practice. We report our experience in the correction of this heart disease with a handmade bovine pericardial-valved woven Dacron conduit as an alternative procedure to homografts, with a focus on early, mid-term, and long-term results. Methods: We designed a retrospective study that included 15 patients with a mean age of 1.5 years (range: three months to eight years), who underwent primary repair of simple CAT. Right ventricular outflow tract was reconstructed in all the cases with this handmade graft that was explanted at the time of its biological stenotic degeneration. A peeling procedure was performed at this time, in order to reconstruct the right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery continuity. Results: Overall mortality was 13.3% (one death at the early postoperative primary repair and the other at the mid-term postoperative peeling reoperation). Actuarial survival rate was 93.3%, 86.7%, and 86.7% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. All of the 14 survivors developed stenosis of the handmade conduit at the mid-term period (8 ± 3 years), but after the peeling procedure, 13 survivors remain asymptomatic to date. Conclusions: Primary repair of common arterial trunk using a handmade conduit can be performed with very low perioperative mortality and satisfactory mid-term and long-term results, which can be favorably compared with those reported with the use of homografts. When graft obstruction develops, peeling procedure is a good option because it does not affect the overall survival, although long-term outcomes warrant further follow-up.

Spinal Solitary Fibrous Tumors: A Series of Four Patients: Case Report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Intraspinal solitary fibrous tumors, which are rare mesenchymal tumors, have previously been reported as case reports. We review our experience and, to our knowledge, the first small institutional series with respect to clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical management, pathohistological analysis, progression-free survival, and long-term outcome. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: In this retrospective review, four patients (three male and one female) ranging in age from 17 to 59 years (mean, 38.5 yr) had spinal solitary fibromas located throughout the spinal canal. Three tumors were located in the thoracic region and one in the cervical spine. All patients presented with pain and paresthesia. Two patients had an associated spinal deformity. All had gross total resection as confirmed by postoperative imaging studies. INTERVENTION: All four patients underwent surgical treatment for spinal solitary fibromas. None of these patients underwent irradiation or chemotherapy after surgery at our center; therefore, outcome was attributed to surgery alone. There were no surgical deaths, and the 5-year actuarial survival rate was 100%. At the most recent follow-up examination, neurological function was stable or improved in 90% of patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with solitary fibrous tumors have a long survival. These tumors have an indolent course, and radiotherapy or chemotherapy seems to be unnecessary.

Surgical resection of locally recurrent cervical cancer: a single institutional 70 patient series

Pelvic recurrence of cervical cancer is a life-threatening situation and only local control can provide hope for remission. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of surgery in the treatment of cervical cancer recurrence. This retrospective study analyzed a series of 70 patients who underwent resection of cervix locoregional recurrence. Thirteen patients had palliative salvage surgery for pelvic complications. Twenty-nine resections were considered as curative. Fifty recurrences required pelvic exenterations. The hospital mortality rate was 9% and the morbidity rate was 44%. Overall 5-year actuarial survival rate was 23%. Survival was significantly higher: (a) after curative resection and (b) after centropelvic recurrence resection. Local control was obtained in 48% of the cases and 13 patients are alive with a median follow-up of 75 months. In conclusion, the results of this small and heterogen series seem to justify an attempt to resection for centropelvic recurrences whenever possible. Palliative surgery should be reserved to salvage therapy and highly selected patients.

Endovascular Stent-Graft Repair of Ruptured Aortic Aneurysms

Purpose: To demonstrate the endovascular approach to the management of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Methods: From 1995 to 2001, 24 patients (21 men; mean age 69 years, range 26–92) underwent emergency endovascular treatment for ruptured AAA. The average interval between onset of symptoms and admission to the hospital was 8.0 hours; the mean time between admission and the operation was 2.3 hours. No suprarenal occluding catheter was used. The stent-graft configurations were 19 bifurcated, 4 tube, and 1 aortomonoiliac. Results: Stent-graft placement was successful in 23 (96%) cases. Failed limb extension deployment prompted conversion to open surgery in the remaining patient. One case was converted to open surgery. Mean duration of treatment was 122 minutes. Three (12.5%) patients died in-hospital. The median hospital stay was 12 days. The rate of endoleaks (all type I) was 16.7%. The overall technical success rate was 77%. The 3-year actuarial survival rate was 75%. Conclusions: Our experience shows excellent results in emergency patients with ruptured AAAs treated with endovascular surgery. In order to verify these promising results, a broader-scale clinical study must be conducted.

Patient Outcome and Valve Performance Following a Second Aortic Valve Homograft Replacement

Background —Homograft valves offer many advantages; however, there is concern about their use in second aortic valve replacement because of the complexity of the procedure and the possibility of accelerated degeneration. Methods and Results —One hundred and forty-four patients underwent a second aortic homograft replacement between 1973 and 1997 (mean follow-up 6.5±5 years, range 1 to 20 years). Eighty-three were male, and 61 were female, aged 17 to 77 years, mean 49.0 years. All patients had undergone previous aortic valve replacement with a homograft. The indication for reoperation was aortic regurgitation in 75 patients (52.1%), aortic stenosis in 28 (19.4%), and mixed aortic valve disease in 41 (28.5%). Root replacement was performed in 54 patients (38%) and subcoronary in 90 (62.5%). Early mortality was 3.4%. The actuarial survival rate was 93% and 82% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Freedom from tissue degeneration was 96% and 80% at 5 and 10 years, respectively, and freedom from reoperation was 97% and 82% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Conclusions —This study shows that a second aortic valve homograft replacement results in good early and long-term survival. Accelerated degeneration does not occur. Left ventricular performance is improved, and earlier surgery could further improve outcome, indicating that an aortic homograft is a safe, durable option for patients requiring a second aortic valve replacement.

Long-Term Outcomes After Function-Sparing Surgery Without Radiotherapy for Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremities and Trunk

PURPOSE: To define the rate of local recurrence (LR) and identify prognostic factors for LR for patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) treated with function-sparing surgery (FSS) without radiotherapy (RT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1970 and 1994, 242 patients with STS of the trunk and extremity presented with primary localized disease, 74 of whom were treated with FSS without RT (31%). The median tumor size was 4 cm (range, 0.5 to 31 cm). There were 40 patients with grade 1 tumors and 34 with grade 2 and 3 tumors. Median follow-up was 126 months. RESULTS: The 10-year actuarial local control rate was 93% ± 4%. Resection margin status was a significant predictor for LR. Patients with closest histologic resection margins of less than 1 cm had a 10-year local control rate of 87% ± 6% compared with 100% for patients with closest histologic resection margins of ≥ 1 cm (P = .04). There was no significant association between LR and tumor grade, size, site (truncal v extremity), or depth (superficial v deep). For all patients, the 10-year actuarial survival rate was 73% ± 6%. CONCLUSION: The 7% LR rate after treatment of STS with FSS without RT reported herein is comparable to published rates following treatment where adjuvant RT is used. These results suggest there may be a select subset of patients with STS in whom carefully performed FSS may serve as definitive therapy and in whom adjuvant RT may not be necessary. However, further study is needed to carefully define this subset of patients and to identify the optimal surgical approach and technique for patients treated without RT.

Local Recurrence of Carcinoma of the Tongue after Glossectomy: Patient Prognosis

We conducted a retrospective review of the prognosis for patients with local recurrence after surgical treatment of carcinoma of the tongue. Glossectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was performed in 167 patients. Local recurrence developed in 32 patients including 21 with local recurrence alone, 10 with locoregional recurrence and one with locodistant recurrence. The incidence of local recurrence increased with tumor stage (from 16% of T1 tumors to 46% of T4 carcinomas). Eleven (34%) patients underwent surgical salvage for local recurrence, with only one (9%) patient surviving free of carcinoma at 43 months post-surgical salvage. All of the remaining 21 patients with local recurrence were treated palliatively and all died within one year. Patients who underwent surgical salvage had significantly higher survival rates compared to those treated palliatively. Close follow-up after glossectomy is important for early detection of local recurrence amenable to surgical salvage. However, the overall prognosis for patients with local recurrence was poor, with a three-year actuarial survival rate of only 3%. Therefore, prevention of local recurrence with adequate initial surgical treatment is essential.

Small-Diameter PTFE Portosystemic Shunts: Portocaval vs Mesocaval

Fifty-seven patients with failed sclerotherapy received a mesocaval interposition shunt with an externally supported, ringed polytetrafluoroethylene prosthesis of either 10 or 12 mm diameter. Thirty-one patients had Child-Pugh gradeA disease and 26 grade B; all had a liver volume of 1000– 2500 ml. Follow-up ranged from 16 months to 6 years 3 months. Three patients (5 per cent) died in the postoperative period. There were two postoperative recurrences of variceal haemorrhage and one recurrent bleed in the second year after surgery. The cumulative shunt patency rate was 95 per cent and the incidence of encephalopathy 9 per cent; the latter was successfully managed by protein restriction and/or lactulose therapy. The actuarial survival rate for the whole group at 6 years was 78 per cent, for those with Child-Pugh grade A 88 per cent and for grade B 67 per cent. Small-lumen mesocaval interposition shunting achieves portal decompression, preserves hepatopetal flow, has a low incidence of shunt thrombosis, prevents recurrent variceal bleeding and is not associated with significant postoperative encephalopathy.